06 September 2016

He’s been called a “demagoue” and a “cheat” by the UN human rights chief and his party’s electoral platform, which calls for all mosques and Islamic schools to be closed, radicalised Muslims to be arrested as a precaution and a complete stop to asylum in the Netherlands has been called a “societal threat” by the prime minister. But none of that is likely to bother Geert Wilders.

Despite what many would view as his extreme views on Islam and immigration, his party is riding high in the polls and looks set to be the largest in the Dutch parliament after the next election in March 2017.

Wilders is one of the best-known politicians in Europe. Arguably, he is more familiar to the European public than any other living Dutch politician. How many, for example, can without going online name the current Dutch prime minister? [The Conversation] Read more